When all else fails
by Little-Bit910
Summary: What if who you love goes against everything you were raised to believe in but what if you can't go away even if you tried? Well, that's what human Marigold and vampire Taylor are going though. So, how do they deal love, lies, and gossip in a small town?
1. Chapter 1

Marigold smiled as the Texas sun kissed my face. _I love the sun,_ she though, _it makes everything so alive, so beautiful. _Chris Lightwood was sitting beside her and he couldn't ask for anything else. She turned her smile to him but he was deep in thought. "What?" Marygold asked him, her voice shook with a sweet laughter.

He looked at her squarely, his dark chocolate eyes full of words that he couldn't speak without prompting from her. She was ready for anything he had to say, _but this _the voice in her mind stated_ you're not ready for. _

Without future delay, he finally cleared his throat and said, "Marigold, I'm leaving. I am never come back; not ever. Do you understand me?"

_ Wait? No!_ she thought but only whispered,"Why?" Her good mood was gone. She forgot about the sun and how happy she was a minute ago, the words "I'm leaving." Broke through the sweet summer trance. Marigold had spent most of my summer with Chris, she was so happy to be with him. It calmed her and the sun made her feel alive, especially with him there to share it with her. With all the excitment Marygold forgot that he had just graduated and was going to be leaving soon, she also forgot that she will only be a junior this year and wasn't going with him.

"Sweetie, collage is starting for me soon. I don't know if you forgot, I'm leaving for England." He said this like she was slow, Like she didn't understand.

It made Marigold's blood boil.

"Well, goodbye." Marigold said, getting up and walking away, she added,"Have fun," in the most sarcastic voice she could find through the tears ready to pour down her face.

"Mary! Mary!" Chris yelled to her but she didn't turn around.

"If you didn't notice, I'm not slow and I'm not going to sit around here and wait for you." Marigold yelled back to him as she started walking the dirt road back to the city. Not many came to this part of town. It was outside any of the bustling towns Texas had to offer, she was sure that most of the little meadows were just old orchards. Chris thought the were just cow pastures, but Marigold always argued that all the cow pastures where usually in different parts of Texas, plus the little town they lived in was called, "Apple Springs." Marigold loved it in a small town like this, it was something she didn't question, small town, small town life, small town job, and small town gossip.

"Hello, Miss Marigold." She jumped, she didn't think there was anyone walking this street she also knew everyone in this town, he wasn't one of the people she remembered, but he knew her name, odd.

"Hello, stranger," She said calmly. "I don't want to sound rude but, do I know you?" She looked at the boy. he was a little older than herself. With magnificent orange eyes almost covered by his unruly blond curls, he was pale, paler than most who live out in the country. But that's not why she was stopped walking, oh no. That was definitely not why she was looking at him now, either. She felt like she knew him., or she was supposed to. He was tall and elegant in his paint covered jeans and dark black shirt, his clothes fit him right, unlike the other boys in town that either had way to baggy or way too small clothes. The only word that came to mind while Marigold looked at him was, beautiful. _Funny, I have never known a guy I could call beautiful,_ she thought to herself, _until now. _He was on the opposite side of the road, which was pretty close to her, seeing that the road wasn't that wide, she didn't look him straight in the eyes and she didn't feel his eyes looking into hers, either.

He started walking again, "My name is Taylor. I'm new in town." He called to her.

"Well, I'll see you around... Right?" She was worried that she sounded to hopeful but she couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Yeah, It's a small town, ain't it." He sounded annoyed. She didn't answer his last remark, and started walking, too. Something about him stayed with her as she kept walking. Like something was pulling her the opposite direction, _Chris is that way, you don't want to see him again, do you?_ her mental voice spoke the words like she herself was brain dead. The sad thing was, she had forgot about Chris completely.

*********

Taylor Redfern never needed anyone but himself. He didn't believe the "Soulmate" stories, or what James told him about how Poppy - James' "soulmate" - came to know the secret. It made no sense, not until Taylor saw Marigold. It was a night like any other. He bagged his prey like every other night, and wiped his blood-stained fangs on a loose piece of cloth he carried with him for that very purpose. That's when he saw her. She was sitting in an abandoned apple orchard staring up into the sky. His eyes could see the tan that covering all her exposed skin. She had beautiful curly black hair and a warm smile that he got to see when she looked up at a shooting star. She closed her eyes and Taylor used that as a chance to hide behind a closer tree. Even if his Vampire eyes could see her perfectly from where he had stood, there was something about her that kept pulling Taylor closer.

"This is beautiful." she said and for a second he was scared that she had seen him. Then she sighed in contentment and layed down on the plush green grass. All Taylor wanted to do was go to her and lay there beside and small, fragile figure. He knows he can't. It's against everything he was raised to believe, but that wasn't Taylor Redfern's fault. It was Hunter Redfern, the vampire that raised him, the vampire Taylor ran away from.


	2. Chapter 2

Marygold wakes up to a beautifully bright day, she was up late again stargazing, like she had done the last two nights but only felt the precence of something she couldn't quite understand the first time. Last night, it was gone, just as Chris was, but since she met tall and beautiful Taylor, Chris has been pushed to the back of her mind.

Her mother has become worried in her late night affairs, she thought she was out with a boy. Of course Marigold explained that Chris was gone to her mother and that she just felt better out in the open air, but her mother wouldn't understand. Marigold has felt so eveloped in the outside world since her father died, that it has been weird. He was always telling her before he died, "We named you after the Marigold flower for one reason, and that is so you will grow up to be beautiful." and she only felt that way outside. It might have been that the sun made her dark brown hair a dark, dark red, or that her green eyes take in a brown around the pupils in the sun. As much as she loved the sun, she also felt beautiful in the dark, her hair took on a black color and her eyes were almost grey looking, of course that was a trick of the lighting. The inside lights seemed to obscure her natural beauty, she felt washed out inside. That's why she wouldn't usually dream. Marigold would just sleep, wake up, get dressed and leave first thing. but today... today she felt content to stay in her dreams, maybe because she could still see the stars or maybe because there were a pair of orange eyes looking at her, but whatever it was, it kept her in bed all morning.

When she finally got out of bed she cringed at the time, "12:09 p.m." it read.

_It must be wrong, _Marigold thought,_ I slept the whole morning away!_ and at that, she groaned.

She jumped out of bed and found the closes shorts and tanktop. She then left her room and went to the bathroom, throwing her hair into a ponytail and brushes her teeth. She looked in the mirror content with her mesy look and hastily leaves her house with out a call to her mom.

_Hm, _She wonders as she stands on the portch, her hands on her hips, _What should I do today?_ This is the question she askes herself everyday, but today the orange eyes that followed her in her dreams popped into her mind, she had no other choice. She wanted to find out more about Taylor, and the only way to find out about some one is to go to The Diner, and that's were she went. She hummed a tune to herself that sounded like a mix of a couple songs she heard on the radio and another that suspitionly went to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," she thought it was funny put all together and didn't stop. She started to focus on what she heard, birds chirpping, water running, cars honking, her own humming, and even her heartbeat. It made her feel good. Then she focused on what she could feel, the heat beating down on her already tanned skin, and the light breeze that cooled the sweat pouring from her skin. After that, she focused on the things she saw, the tired old town chuging along, cars slowly grazing the old dirt roads, people walking - sweating enough to fill a pool, and old saggy building that are used for anything from a REC center to church on sunday.

It was a great releif to see The Diner just up ahead, even if she loved the sun, she still didn't like to be dripping in sweat. Marigold stepped in and calmed herself, the air conditioning felt great. After she felt a little better she sat on one of the stools a the breakfast bar.

"Why, what do you know," Says Mrs. Marcee, she had worked at The Diner for as long as Marigold can remember and is always sharing gossip and smothering pancakes in syrup. that's why most kids come here for breakfast, "It's Apple Springs very own, Sweetie Sarely! What can I get you, Sweetie?"

"Mrs. Marcee, It's just Marigold, you know I don't like all that 'Sweetie' stuff." She said making a playful gaging sound.

"Well, Mrs.'Just Marigold'. Have you heard 'bout the new guy?" She bends her voice to be a bit quieter, to Marigold and she suddenly become interested in what she is saying, this is what Marigold was hoping for.

"No, what about him?"

"They say that he lives alone in the mansion up the street. The one that died in." Marigold opened her eyes real big so that Mrs. Marcee would go on. "They say he is starting as a senior this upcoming year and..." She made her voice a almost inaudible whisper and said the next part like I was the first she told, "Tom and Carson were in the woods around the old meadows last night, and said they saw him crouching over a deer, they said it sounded like he was tearing out it's neck, but his hands were behind his back." _Whoah! _she thought, _I was in the meadow last night!_

She tired to sound inerested instead of scared, "Really? That's awful, but are you sure you can believe Tom and Carson? They are the ones that said that Mrs. Johnson left." Everyone believed them, too. Until, the doctor from the town over came to drop off her pills and saw her lying in the backyard, a knife in her stomach. It was sad for Marigold, she was always helping kind, old, around her house, that had been her daily job and take her mind off of Chris.

She winced as her thoughts got on him again, and she had to ask , "Did you hear anything about Chris Lightwood?"

"Yeah, his car left this morning, didn't you know that?" actually seemed surpirised at her ignorance.

"Thank you." Marigold said, ignoring 's question, she left to go to 's old house, she wanted know more and the small town gossip wasn't getting her anywhere, she needed to talk to the sourse.

"Ain't you gonna get some food?" yelled at her retreating figure.

_No time,_ Marigold thought with a smile, _here goes nothing._

The door slammed shut behind her.

*********

Taylor was wide awake and looking around his newly aquirred house, it was made of wood, which was a risk on his part but it was one story and if his house killed him... Well, that would be a stupid death, but a fast and easy one. The old owner's furniture was still in all over the house and he thought a thank you to the late owner, he wasn't going to have a bed if it wasn't for the previous owners death.

He had already heard the rumors, some people said that he was the one that killed . Some boys said they saw him "eating" a dear alive. It was silently histerical to him. It wasn't hard for him to keep his thoughts off of all the people in town. He mentally slapped himself, there was one person that he couldn't stop thinking about and he hated thinking about those green/brown eyes flickering away from his gaze on the old dirt road. He smiled as he thought the word, _vermin. _and he grinned bigger when he thought the word, _soulmate._ Of course, Hunter didn't know what he was talking about when he told me that all human's were food, if Marigold was food he would surly starve before he drank her body lifeless, It would be intolerable. It made him if feel good to think that Hunter, the man he ran from, was really wrong about some of his "life styles" were wrong, but as he started thinking about Hunter, he started thinking about why he ran, and was pulled back to the island.

_Gotta run! Gotta get away. I will never, never do that. It's against the law. Taking so many girls from there home and drink there lives away from a couple hours of high was sickining, but of course, Hunter thought that I was being headstrong. I needed to get away frm the Island but all the boats were being used. Didn't they understand? I felt that I should have gone back in and get those girls to safty but then Hunter would get me to the gathering room again. I needed to think I needed a plan! I wondered the beaches for a while just needing to move and then I saw a boat coming at our island fast, almost like it was in a hurry to get the job done._

_It was the boat with the last couple of girls ready to get them dropped off and end all of this, i would put my life on it. I after about a minute I could make out Quinn at the front of the boat, I didn't dwell on it because I found my escape. I ran for the docks and to my freedom. Freedom from the 16th century, freedom from lawbreaking, Freedom from Hunter Redfern's disaproval in anything that he didn't deside on himself. _

Something alerted his mind that there was a presence outside of the front door, _stupid scweaky stairs._ He cursed them but knew that he was really cursing the person coming to visit. Company was something he was sure he couldn't deal with in the state he was right now. So, he let the person at the door knock as he started making himself a sandwich. The knocking got more demanding and he went to answer the door for the bratty little knocker...


	3. Chapter 3

Finally Marigold's knocking got someone's attention. The door opened in front of her fast and there was Taylor.  
Did she really think that he looked beautiful that day? Now, in the shade of his porch, he looked beyond that. His hair wasn't only blond, like she thought it was, it was gold and red and brunette and white, it had to be natural, no one could get box color that perfect. His skin was creamy and elegant making his golden orange eyes more noticeable. He had a tee-shirt on that emphasized the muscles he had hidden. His jeans weren't falling off but dangerously low...  
"Ehem," he coughed, getting my attention, "Do you want something?"  
"Oh, um..." What would she say? _Hello, I want to know what happened to the lady that lived here? _Uh, that would sound stupid, to say the least. "Hi, I saw you yesterday on the road. My name is Marigold."  
"Hi," He said, a smirk on his face, though it didn't reach his orange eyes, "I'm Taylor. Are you the welcoming committee or did you come to get the scope like every other person in this... quaint little town?" He leaned back on the door jam, his arms crossed as he studied her intently.  
"Uh, a little of both, actually." She said, studding his eyes eyes carefully for his true emotions, and failing horribly.  
"The lady died, and thanks for the welcome, now your welcome to leave my porch." He turned to walk back in the house, but before she even thought about it, she grabbed his arm.  
Skin to skin.  
She gasped as an electric shock moved through her arm, but didn't let go. He turned to face her fast, his eyes big with shock. And before she knew it his lips were on hers his tongue licked at her bottom lip and she parted her lips as the kiss deepened.

The kiss was crazy, hungry like, as his arms went around her waist and hers around his shoulders and into his hair, he quickly turned them around, so her back was to the wall. Electricity was going on all over their bodies, it felt amazing to Marigold. Supernatural.  
She broke the kiss, gasping for air. Taylor's lips moved to her neck and she sighed, holding her there. "Taylor," she moaned deep in her throat as his teeth grazed her neck softly.  
Suddenly, he pulled away, and she fell to the ground breathing hard. "Taylor, what was that? Seriously?" She meant for it to be strong sounding, but she was still gasping, trying to slow her heart rate.  
"I'm seriously not sure..." He trailed off uncertainly. looking out into the country side. It felt too fast, too much to take in in just ten minutes, that's all she had been there and they already shared her most passionate kiss... ever?  
"Shower cap," he whispered, or she thought her did.  
"What?"

"Nothing. You have to go now," He turned and started to walk into the house, she grabbed his arm again, again the current closed and Taylor turned back to her, _Yes?_ She heard in her mind.  
_What the hell, _she thought, letting go of his arm.  
"Silly human," he said and closed the door, leaving her in the porch alone.

*********

Of course he didn't leave her _alone _alone. He stood against the door listening to her thought, the thought of his soulmate. that was a scary thought, but what did he do? He just kissed her out of nowhere and then went totally cold turkey.  
In short he screwed up.  
_I heard his thoughts! _she screamed in her mind, pacing the porch. she didn't even leave, yet. Which surprised him, _Marigold, your crazy, stop. _

_I love you,_ he snuck into her mind and said, she gasped and ran down the steps of the porch, away from him.  
This was crazy, why was he doing this to his... Soulmate? _Because,_ some small part of his mind whispered, _you're lonely but you don't want to break the law._  
_Screw the law._

"Marigold!" He screamed, opening the door, but she wasn't close to the house anymore... well, not close enough to hear him. He closed the door and sat in one of the fluffy chairs. What would he do if she was there? Tell her he was a vampire? Tell her that they were soulmates? No, that would be something she would surely run about that one.  
"Meow," he looked up sharply at a small kitten standing in the middle of his living room., it padded over to him, rubbing up on his leg. Most animal's could figure out his kind pretty easily, and steer clear. This cat didn't flinch back so Taylor bent down to grab it.  
The kitten was all black with one white spot in the top of it's head, "You're cute." He said sweetly, lightly scratching it's ear. It purred.  
_Should I? _the thought was alien from his brain. _No, he was acting really weird._

_Marigold. _Taylor didn't know what to do, but he suddenly was very aware of his surroundings. _Just do it, what do you have to lose? _she thought outside the door, there was a almost silent knock on the door.

"I don't want any girl scout cookies," He yelled as he walked to the door.  
"Taylor, it's me. Not the girls scouts." He opened the door, looking at her he felt the shock of her beauty again.  
"Oh, I know." He smiled his lopsided smile, "Want to come in?"  
"You have a kitten?" She pointed to the cat, hiding giggles with a cough.  
"Can I have cat? I like cats," _I hate cats, _he thought to himself.  
She starts to laugh, "I don't think you like cats... What did you name her?" She asked, coming closer and petting the small kitten. "She's cute."  
He grins, stupidly, _so are you._  
"What?"  
"Nothing," he smiled, "What should I name it?"  
She looked at him with a confused expression, "You have some bad mood swings." She pets the kitten again, suddenly noticing how close the were standing.  
"Sorry about that..."  
"Will, you explain it to me?" She asked softly, looking up into his beautiful eyes.  
"I can't explain it," He thought a second, "I can... show you." the plan was slowly forming in his mind now, "Come in?" He asked, moving aside so she could come in if she would like to.  
"Sure," she said uncertainly.  
"What do I name it, though?" He asks again, guiding her to the love seat.  
"What?"  
"What do I name the kitten?" He said, sitting across from her in one of the too soft chairs, "Mittens?"  
"No! That name is over used!" she laughs looking around the room, it was dark and old lady-like. Probably Mrs. Johnson's old stuff. "Call her Night, she's all black."  
"What about the white dot?"  
"The moon?" She said, like it was obvious, he couldn't help thinking she looked really cute in that moment, her green eyes alight with emotions he couldn't identify.  
"I guess," Though it was a little ironic, the name, but he liked it. He held the kitten to him face, "Hello Night. How are you?" the kitten pawed his face, and Marigold laughed.  
"Now, how are you going to show me why your emotions are giving me whiplash?" She asked, looking at him with soft eyes.  
"I'm going to bite you."  
It was silent for three heartbeats, he would know... he counted.


	4. notice

Hey everyone,

I know y'all are looking for an update but the life turoil is getting to me bad. I'll update soon, but right now.... Right now I'm too broken.

Natalie


End file.
